Everything You Want
by GoldenNickel
Summary: Maria loves James, James Loves Alyssa, and Alyssa loves sex. When James and Alyssa begin dating, James is the only one that can't see that Alyssa is using him for sex and the perks of dating Harry Potter's son, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.
1. Chapter 1

"Catch it, James!" Alyssa Finnigan yelled out, urging the Gryffindor Seeker (and Team Captain) on as he neared the Golden Snitch.

"Working on it!" James called back, "Pay attention to your own position, Aly!"

Alyssa nodded her head and turned just in time to see a Bludger zooming towards her. She ducked and the Bludger missed her head by only a few inches.

Michael Wood, a Gryffindor Chaser, spotted Alyssa hovering alone and tossed her the Quaffle. She caught it and quickly raced off towards the goal posts.

Maria Griffin, one of the Ravenclaw Chasers, zoomed by Alyssa and snatched the Quaffle out of her hands. She tossed the ball with amazing accuracy and speed, sending it past Lily Potter, the Gryffindor Keeper, and through the left-most goal post.

Alyssa swore loudly and glanced up at James, who was in the process of trying to out-race Roxanne Weasley to get the Snitch.

James pressed himself as low as possible against his broom and sped up towards the Snitch, which flashed gold in the sunlight. Roxanne sped up, too, and stretched out her hand. She closed her fingers around thin air, and cursed. James smiled and grabbed the gold flash of light. He proudly opened his hand showed the screaming crowd the Golden Snitch, struggling to escape his fingers.

* * *

><p>"You got lucky," Maria assured James, laughing, "We'll beat you next time."<p>

"Funny, Roxanne seems to think the same thing," James said, smiling at his best friend, "And the Scamander Twins, too. You all seem to think its luck. But that's where your wrong, O friend of mine. That's what I call skill."

Maria snorted. "You wouldn't know skill if it got stuck in that messy bed-head of yours."

James feigned being offended and ran his fingers through his messy, jet-black hair.

"There you are," a new voice said, and Maria and James turned to see Alyssa Finnigan climb through the Gryffindor common room portrait hole. "James, I wanted to ask you if…well I was wondering if you wanted to go celebrate our victory…Michael managed to get some Firewhiskey from Hogsmeade. The whole team is in the Room of Requirement."

"Sounds awesome!" James exclaimed, standing up, "Um…Maria, would you mind…?"

"'Course not," Maria said, "Have fun. But remember, it was all luck," she added in a teasing tone.

"Sure it was," James rolled his eyes, and then turned to Alyssa, "I'm gonna go change out of my Quidditch Robes. Be right back."

Then, he ran up to the Boys' dormitory and left Alyssa and Maria alone.

"Luck?" Alyssa snorted, "James is the most talented Quidditch player at Hogwarts. If anyone needs luck, it's you, Griffin."

"Shove it, Finnigan," Maria snarled, "I was joking with him. We _are _friends, you know."

"Why he's friends with a talentless Muggle-born like you, I'll never know," Alyssa said, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

Maria glared at Alyssa for a moment. "And why he's friends with a snob like you, _I'll_ never know!" she shouted before stomping off. She climbed through the portrait hole and sped off towards Ravenclaw Tower.

When she reached her destination, she found Roxanne, Lorcan, and Lysander sitting in chairs by the fireplace. She sat down in an empty chair and stared at the fire, steaming.

Roxanne looked at her, eyebrows raised.

"Something wrong?" she asked, "It was just one loss…we'll beat Gryffindor next time."

"It's not the game," Maria said, "It's your stupid cousin."

"You'll need to be more specific than that, Maria," Roxanne pointed out, "Half of Hogwarts is made up of Weasley/Potter relatives."

"James," Maria said, "I just can't figure out why he's friends with that horrid bitch, Alyssa Finnigan."

Lorcan and Lysander looked at each other in shock. Maria almost never swore. Even Roxanne looked slightly shocked until she managed to pull herself together and reply.

"Well, although I have to agree with you about Alyssa, she is smart and athletic…just James' type."

"You think he _fancies _her?" Maria asked.

"Unfortunately, yes he does," Roxanne said, "He told me."

Maria covered her face with her hands and groaned.

"If it makes you feel any better," Lorcan said.

"We _did _try to hit her with a Bludger a few times during the match," Lysander finished.

"Almost got her a few times too," Lorcan laughed, "Missed her by an inch."

Maria couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up, and Roxanne joined in.

* * *

><p>James took a swing from his bottle of Firewhiskey and smiled at the rest of his team. Alyssa came up from behind him and wrapped her hands around his arm. He blushed a furious shade of red and the Firewhiskey slid from his hand, smashing onto the floor. Someone, he didn't pay attention who, was kind enough to wave their wand and clean it up for him.<p>

Alyssa laughed and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek. Before James had time to respond with anything more than a shocked glance, Lily was next to him. She grabbed his other arm and tugged her away from Alyssa.

"What was that for?" James asked, glaring at her.

"I don't like her, James," Lily said matter-of-factly, "I see the way she looks at you. It's not the same as the way you look at her."

James looked offended, and then disguised it in anger.

"What do you know? You're 13!"

"13 and apparently a lot smarter than my sixth year brother," Lily rolled her eyes, "She'll hurt you James…" Lily's tone turned protective, "I don't trust her."

"Well I do," James said, "She's sweet to me. I mean, 'til now I thought it was because we were friends…but I think she fancies me, Lil."

"_Fancies?_" Lily sputtered, "Alyssa Finnigan has never _fancied_ anyone. The only thing she fancies is a good shag."

"Come off it, Lily," James growled, "She's a good person."

He stormed away as Lily's eyebrows shot up above her hairline. "A good person on what planet?" she muttered, shaking her head and turning to join a conversation between Jason Baker and Michael Wood, the two Chasers besides Alyssa.

"James," Alyssa purred, "Why don't we go celebrate…somewhere else?"

"W-where exactly is that?" James asked, losing his cool attitude for a moment.

"Say….your room?" Alyssa asked, "You're roommates aren't there, so we could be alone."

James looked around. "Well…no they're not. Michael and Jason are both here."

"So let's go," Alyssa chirped happily, grabbing James' arm and pulling him out of the Room of Requirement.

**Reviews lead to updates! Just so you know :)**

**Alyssa Finnigan, Maria Griffin, Michael Wood are the Creations of the amazing xXYouXAreXMyXHeroineXx, who is my awesome best friend and lets me use her OCs :)  
><strong>

**Jason Baker is from my mind.**

**Everything else belongs to JK Rowling and the Harry Potter universe, unless I make more OCs, or use some of **xXYouXAreXMyXHeroineXx**'s.  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Maria walked into the Great Hall the next day and saw James and Alyssa sitting side by side at the Gryffindor table, Alyssa leaning on his shoulder and smiling stupidly up at him. Maria sat next to Lorcan and Lysander Scamander and grabbed a fork, squeezing it so hard in her fist that Lysander looked afraid she's stab someone with it.

"Um…Maria?" he asked, slowly reaching out and taking to fork from her hand, "Are you okay?"

"I can't believe him!" Maria threw her hands up in the air, "Look at them, they make me sick."

Lorcan and Lysander looked over, and saw Alyssa pressed against James. She gave him a long kiss on the lips and James returned it with enthusiasm.

"She sure is making it obvious that they're together," Lorcan muttered in disgust, "Do they have to do that in the middle of the Great Hall? Some of us are trying to eat here."

"That poor love-struck fool," Roxanne sighed, shaking her head and sitting down on the other side of Maria. Lorcan, Lysander and Maria all nodded.

"I can't believe he trusts her. She's slept with half the guys at school, and then dumped them as soon as she was bored."

"Well she's very good at keeping that side of her personality a secret from James," Roxanne said.

Maria glanced over at the couple again. They'd stopped kissing, but Alyssa was still pressed up against James.

"Or he's just too oblivious to see it," Maria noted.

* * *

><p>Later, Maria was enjoying her free period in the library when James and Alyssa walked in giggling.<p>

"James, you are _so_ adorable," Alyssa squealed, causing Maria to gag and the librarian on duty to "shhhhhh!" loudly.

The two Gryffindors rounded the corner and James spotted Maria, who now had her face buried in her book, attempting to avoid being seen.

"Hey, Ria," James said.

"Oh, hi James," Maria said, smiling at him.

"What's up?" he asked her, "Are we still on for Quidditch later?"

"Of course," Maria said.

"Quidditch?" Alyssa asked, hanging on James' arm.

"Yeah," James said, "The whole Potter/Weasley clan here at Hogwarts gets together sometimes to play Quidditch. Just a friendly competition."

"Sounds fun," Alyssa said, "Can I come?"

"Sure," James said happily.

"But…" Maria let out quietly.

"But what?" James asked, "It'll be fun with Alyssa there."

"Sure it will," Maria said. James didn't catch the sarcasm in her voice, and didn't notice her hurt expression.

"Great, see you then." James smiled as Alyssa dragged him away to snog in a back corner of the library.

Maria slammed her book shut, earning a glare from the librarian, and shoved it in her bag. She practically ran out of the library and stomped towards Ravenclaw tower. Halfway there, Lily noticed her in the corridor and stopped her.

"Hey, what's the matter, Maria?" Lily asked.

"Your brother is currently snogging Alyssa in the library," Maria announced.

Lily's eyes opened wide. "James?"

"Well Albus would never snog anyone besides Scorpius, so yeah James," Maria said.

"What a moron," Lily exclaimed, "I told him last night I didn't trust her, but does he listen? Of course not."

Maria sighed. "I'm just gonna go back to Ravenclaw tower and work on my Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. I'll see you later for Quidditch, kay?"

"See you," Lily said, "And don't be too upset about James, okay?"

"I can't help it," Maria said quietly, looking at the stone flooring, "You know how I feel about him…"

Lily nodded. "I know. But it'll be okay." She gave Maria a hug and they parted ways.

* * *

><p>"Okay," James said, "Fred, Louis, Lorcan, Lucy, Rose, Lily and Maria. You guys are Team 1. Team 2 is Roxanne, Albus, Scorpius, Alyssa, Lysander, Molly and myself."<p>

Hugo looked like the only one glad that Alyssa was there. "Great, now I don't have to humiliate myself by playing," he said, going to sit on the bleachers. He pulled out his sketchbook and began to draw.

On Team one, Lily was Keeper, Fred and Louis played Beaters, Lorcan, Maria and Rose were Chasers, and Lucy played Seeker. On Team 2, Roxanne was Keeper, Lysander and Albus were beaters, Alyssa, Scorpius and Molly played Chasers, and James was Seeker. Everyone got on their brooms and flew up into the air. From the stands, Hugo opened the case full of equipment borrowed from the school, and released the Snitch and Bludgers. He also threw the Quaffle into the air, and the game began.

Rose was the first one to catch the Quaffle, and she raced off towards the goals that Roxanne was guarding. Scorpius was gaining on her, trying to take the red ball from her, so Rose tossed the Quaffle to Lorcan, who then tossed it to Maria, who threw it towards the goal. Roxanne did a flip on her broom and hit the Quaffle back towards the field.

Molly caught the Quaffle and threw it towards Alyssa, who caught it and sped towards the opposite end of the field. Maria was about to grab the ball from her arms, but Alyssa threw it to Scorpius and Maria collided with Alyssa's broom. The two of them almost slipped off their broom, but both managed to regain control.

"You did that on purpose!" Alyssa screeched at her, being sure that James wasn't in hearing distance.

"Get over yourself, Alyssa," Maria said, "It was an accident. If you don't want to risk getting hurt, maybe you shouldn't play Quidditch."

"Shove it," Alyssa said, racing off to continue playing.

Maria glared at her, and then looked around for who had the Quaffle. She saw Lorcan throw it to Rose, but the throw was intercepted by Molly, who threw the Quaffle to Scorpius.

Scorpius carried it all the way to where Lily was guarding. He threw the Quaffle, but Lily caught it and tossed it to Maria. Maria threw it towards Lorcan, but Alyssa got in the way and caught it. She threw it towards the middle goal, and Lily scrambled to catch it, but the Quaffle went through the goal, scoring 10 points for Team 2.

Lily retrieved the Quaffle and threw it back towards her team mates. Maria caught the Quaffle and sped towards Roxanne. She made it to the other side without having to throw the ball to anyone else, and threw the Quaffle towards the right post. Roxanne, who had been guarding the left post at the time, tried to stop the Quaffle but it sailed through the post, tying the game up 10 to 10.

Half an hour later, the score was 90 to 130, with Team 1 in the lead. Lily, who seemed angry at the possibility of Alyssa scoring goals while she was Keeper, was racing around the goal posts, smashing the Quaffle away whenever it came close. Maria watched Lily with amusement as she smacked the Quaffle back viciously.

"I caught it!" they all heard Lucy exclaim, and they looked up to see her holding the Golden Snitch in her hand proudly.

With the game over, everyone landed their brooms in the middle of the field and Hugo ran out to meet them.

"That makes the score 280 to 90, with Team 1 being the winner," Hugo said.

"Congrats, Lucy," James said, never a poor sport when it came to their family games.

Lucy smiled and looked at the Snitch struggling to escape her grip. She shoved it in her pocket to put it away until the next family match. Even though a new Snitch was used for every professional and school game, the Weasleys and Potters just reused the same one in order to make things easier.

"Well that was fun," Alyssa said, although she looked very sour that her team had lost.

James either didn't notice her anger, or didn't mention it. Everyone else just chose to ignore her.

"I say we go celebrate our victory," Lorcan announced.

"With what?" Rose asked.

"Dinner," Lorcan said, blushing as his stomach growled loudly, causing everyone to laugh.

**Ok, more of a filler chapter...but I promise lots of drama in the coming chapters. Review! I want at least 5 reviews before I update, so if you want more be sure to review :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I only got 3 reviews on the last chapter but I'm updating anyway. This chapter, I want at least 5 reviews or it will be a long time before I update. I mean 5 reviews on this chapter, not total. So reviewwww! :D**

Maria was in the Ravenclaw common room when she heard James outside the door, struggling to answer that days' riddle.

"Just let me in, you stupid door!" James exclaimed, "I just want to see Maria."

"You must answer the riddle," the door insisted, "Otherwise you won't be getting in, Gryffindor. I shouldn't even let you attempt the riddle, since you're not a Ravenclaw, but I like you."

"You're a door, how do you have feelings?" James asked.

"I've changed my mind…I don't like you."

James groaned and desperately reached for the knocker. When he knocked loudly, the door yelled out in protest.

"Maria!" James yelled, "Open the damn door! I know you're in there."

From the other side of the door, Maria laughed.

"The riddle isn't that hard," Maria said, "You're smart, James, you'll get it."

"It is too hard!" James exclaimed.

"How far can a werewolf run into the forbidden forest?" the door repeated the riddle.

"All the way? I don't know," James yelled.

Maria giggled. "Okay, fine come in." She opened the door, and James, who had been leaning against the door at the time, fell in. "The answer is 'Halfway,' by the way," she said, looking down at him and smiling.

"Halfway? I don't get it," James said, standing up and brushing himself off.

"If he runs more than that, he's not running into the forest anymore, he's running out."

"Ravenclaw sucks," James decided, causing Maria to laugh again.

"What's up?" she asked him.

"Not much," James shrugged, "I just thought we could hang out before class."

"Why aren't you hanging out with Alyssa?" Maria asked, but she immediately regretted asking when James looked offended.

"Because we haven't been hanging out much, so I thought you'd want to. Alyssa understands."

"Oh…" Maria muttered, "Sorry, James."

"It's okay," James grinned, "I know you're just jealous."

"Jealous?" Maria sputtered, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course," James laughed, "But seriously, we're best friends so I want to spend time with you."

"Right, best friends," Maria smiled, fighting back a sad expression.

"So, let's get to hanging out!" James exclaimed, thrusting his fist into the air dramatically. "What do you want to do?"

"Well I was working on homework….have you done yours yet?" Maria asked.

James looked sheepish. "Well…."

"Then come on, I'll help you."

"This isn't what I had in mind when I wanted to hang out," James grumbled, "But thanks. You're a lifesaver."

* * *

><p>"Stay away from James," Maria heard Alyssa say from behind her.<p>

She was in the Great Hall, eating lunch with Roxanne. Alyssa had ventured away from the Gryffindor table.

"Not a chance, Finnigan," Maria growled, standing up. Roxanne put a hand on her arm, but Maria pulled away. "James and I are best friends, why would I stay away from him?"

"Everyone knows you want to be more than friends," Alyssa sneered, "And that'll never happen. He's mine."

Maria bit her lip hard, and then grew angry. "Get out of here, Alyssa, I'm not going to stay away from James. We've been friends since we were kids. You're just some girl who wants to use him."

"Use him?" Alyssa faked innocence, "I love him."

"You've been dating for 2 days," Maria rolled her eyes; "You don't love him. You just want sex, but James isn't like all the other guys you've dated. He won't shag you just because you ask."

"Oh, hasn't he told you?" Alyssa smirked, "We've already shagged."

"That's a lie," Maria spat.

"Nope. After the celebration party for beating Ravenclaw in Quidditch, James and I did a bit of celebrating ourselves."

Maria felt her head spin. She was furious. At Alyssa, at James, and at herself. Roxanne saw Maria take a step towards Alyssa, tried to grab Maria's arm, but she was too late. Maria pounced at Alyssa.

"Get off of me!" Alyssa screeched, but Maria kept hitting her.

"How dare you use him like that!" Maria yelled, "You bitch!"

She got one last slap in before she felt herself being pulled away by someone. When they got to the corridor, Maria looked up to see Teddy Lupin standing next to her.

"Maria Griffin!" he exclaimed, "You attacked another student! There are serious consequences for that!"  
>"I don't care, Teddy!" Maria yelled out, "She deserved it! She's using him!"<p>

"Professor," Teddy sighed, "It's Professor Lupin at school." He knew it was no use. All the Potter/Weasley kids (and their friends, who had known Teddy since birth, like Maria, Lorcan, and Lysander) called him Teddy, or Professor Teddy.

Maria felt tears stream down her face and she fell to the floor. Teddy kneeled down next to her and pulled her into a hug. "Listen, Ria, it'll be okay," Teddy said, "What's the matter?"

"She's using him," Maria repeated, "And I can't stand it. She doesn't deserve him He's too good for her."

"Who?" Teddy asked.

"James," Maria said, "Alyssa is using him for sex, and because he's the popular Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, and Harry Potter's son. And he can't see it! He thinks she loves him!"

Teddy sighed. "Attacking her isn't the solution," he said, "You can't do that and get away with it."

"You're not gonna punish me, are you Teddy?" Maria asked, looking up at him.  
>"I have no choice," Teddy said, "You got into a fight in the middle of the Great Hall. I can't just ignore that, plus all the other professors saw. I'm afraid you have to go to the Headmistress' office."<p>

Maria stood up miserably and walked away from him, towards McGonagall's office. Teddy watcher her go with worry in his eyes.

* * *

><p>"Maria, you've been here for 6 years and you've never once been in trouble," McGonagall said, "And now this?"<p>

"I'm sorry, Professor," Maria said, her head down.

"Professor Lupin tells me that you're upset about a relationship between James Potter and Alyssa Finnigan," McGonagall said.

Maria nodded. "I shouldn't have attacked her, but I couldn't help myself. She told me….she…" Maria stopped talking, not wanting to talk about this with a Professor.

"What is it, Maria?" McGonagall asked.

"She said that they've shagged," Maria admitted, her face turning red, "They've only been dating for 2 days…"

"Oh…" McGonagall said, looking embarrassed herself, "Well…there are other ways to handle the situation besides violence. Because this is your first instance of trouble, I'm going to do easy on you. A week's detention. Professor Lupin has offered to have to serve your detention with him. Maybe he can help you with this…situation."

"Thank you, Headmistress," Maria said quietly.

* * *

><p>"Ria, what were you thinking?" James stormed into the library. "Why would you attack her like that?"<p>

"I'll tell you why!" Maria stood her ground, still steaming, "She's using you, James! And you're too thick to see it!"

"She is not using me!" James yelled back, "She loves me! And I love her!"

The librarian walked over and warned them that she would kick them out unless they quieted down.

"You've been dating for 2 days," Maria whisper-yelled, "And she told me that you've already shagged! Is that true?"

James blushed and didn't answer.  
>"James, why would you do that?" Maria asked, "You always said you were going to wait until you found the right person. You just gave away your vir-."<p>

"Don't say it," James said, looking embarrassed.

"Fine. You said your first time was going to be with someone special. Why would you just sleep with her on the first night?"  
>"I don't know," James admitted, "It felt right."<p>

"Were you drunk?" Maria asked, crossing her arms over her chest and raising her eyebrows.

"Maybe a little," James said defensively, "But I knew what I was doing."  
>"That's the worst part," Maria said, "You just went ahead and slept with her even though you <em>know<em> her reputation."

"She's a good person," James' tone turned back to anger, "I love her and that's that. You don't know anything about it."

Maria bit her lip so hard that she tasted blood.

"You're wrong," she said, "I do know what it feels like to love someone. It has _nothing _to do with just shagging all the time."

James' expression softened. "Maria…you never told me you loved anyone. We've been friends for so long, why didn't you tell me?"

"I have to go," Maria said suddenly, "Detention….bye."

Before James could argue, Maria was gone.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Yay! Lots of reviews on last chapter! As a reward, I present the next chapter.**

"Have you tried confronting James?" Teddy asked.

"It's not that simple," Maria said, "You grew up with James; you know how hard-headed he is."

"That's true," Teddy said, laughing slightly.

Maria couldn't help but smile. She remembered all the times that James' stubbornness had been funny. Like the time he'd sat outside all night on Christmas Eve when they were young, because he was determined to meet Santa Claus. Maria, who had been staying with the Potters' for Christmas, had sat out there with him, not out of curiosity about Santa, but just to be with James. She'd loved him even then, even though she didn't realize what love was yet.

Now, it was Maria's 5th night serving detention with Teddy, James hadn't spoken to her since their fight in the library.

"There's no use in trying now," Maria sighed, "He's still mad at me. He hasn't spoken to me in days…and he doesn't get that she's only using him. She practically admits it to anyone but James, and James doesn't believe any of us when we try to tell him."

"Did you mention it to him before the fight?" Teddy asked.

"Well…no," Maria admitted, "I thought James was smarter than that…I especially thought he wouldn't just sleep with her right away."

Teddy looked angry at that. Given that he'd grown up with James, and they were brothers in all but blood, it was understandable.

"He's not going to listen to you," Teddy said, keeping his voice under control, "Not after what happened. Maybe you could have someone else talk to him. What about Lily?"

"She warned him about Alyssa before they got together….obviously he didn't listen."

"Maybe Roxanne can talk to him," Teddy suggested, "She's the sensible one in the family. Even if she can't get him to see what Alyssa is like, maybe she can get him to at least talk to you again."

"Yeah…that would be nice," Maria said, looking sad and wishful.

* * *

><p>"James, listen to me," Roxanne insisted, walking after her cousin.<p>

"Go away," James said, "You're just going to feed me some lies about Alyssa."

"No I'm not!" Roxanne yelled, "I am not here to talk about your bloody girlfriend! I'm here to talk about Maria."

"What do you want me to say?" James stopped walking away and spun around to face Roxanne, "She's the one who attacked Alyssa. You want me to just be okay with that?"  
>"You weren't there," Roxanne said, "Alyssa provoked her. James, you know Maria. She's not violent; she <em>never<em> swears…she's a good kid. So think, why would she attack Alyssa without reason?"

"I don't know!" James exclaimed, "That's my point."

"You're so incredibly _thick!"_ Roxanne groaned, "But you know what? I don't care. I really couldn't care less about Alyssa. I'm here because I care about Maria. And you're hurting her."

"I'm hurting _her?_" James asked, "You're joking right? How do you think I feel? My best friend hates my girlfriend."

"With good reason," Roxanne mumbled, but then changed the subject, "Listen, Maria is hurting. She can't stand that you're ignoring her, especially over another girl."

"Why should she care?" James said, "She obviously doesn't care about _my _feelings."

"She cares way too much about your feelings!" Roxanne screamed at him, "She loves you!"

As soon as the words left her lips, Roxanne regretted them. She wished she could take them back, but it was too late.

"She…what?" James asked, his eyes going wide.

"Nothing," Roxanne said, "Forget I said anything…"

"No, I heard you," James said, "Did you say she _loves_ me?"

"Maria's gonna kill me," Roxanne said quietly, "Please, James, forget what I said."

"How am I supposed to forget that?" James said loudly, "I just…"

"Damn it," Roxanne cursed, "Please don't tell her I told you. Just talk to her again, okay? You're killing her."

"I can't," James said, his expression turning stony.

"You _can't?_" Roxanne asked incredulously, "Are you insane? Now you know why she acted the way she did, and you still won't talk to her? She was only trying to protect you!"

"Now I know that she's jealous!" James exclaimed, "And she can't control herself. She could have really hurt Alyssa. She needs to learn some self-control!"

"You are the _stupidest_, most _thick-headed, moronic_…_idiot_ I have ever known, James Potter!" Roxanne yelled at him, taking a step towards him at every insult until she was right next to him.

"Even after I tell you that she _loves you_ you're too stupid to realize that she only did what she did to protect you! The fact of the matter is, Alyssa Finnigan is using you! She is a liar and a tramp who only dates guys for sex and popularity. Haven't you noticed that _every_ guy she's _ever_ dated has end up dumped and alone once she was bored of them? Right now, I can't see a bit of what Maria sees in you. Why she cares about you so much, I'll never know! At least not the way you're acting right now. The James Potter I knew, the James Potter we all knew, would never put some girl above his family and his friends!"

James looked so stunned that he couldn't even speak. Finally, he opened his mouth and replied.

"I know Alyssa's past, okay?" James asked aggressively, "I know what she was like…but she's changed!"

Roxanne groaned. "For just a second, I thought you were gonna finally make sense. You just don't get it. People don't change that quickly. You're letting her blind you to the truth. She wants you for sex. You'll regret this in the end, trust me."

"You're wrong," James insisted.

"How often have the two of you been sleeping together?" Roxanne asked, raising her eyebrows.

"That's none of your business!" James yelled.

"It is too my business! If you were sleeping with someone who actually _cared_ about you, then I wouldn't care."

"Listen," James said, getting angrier, "I don't care what you think, and I don't care what Maria thinks. If she can't control her feelings, then I'm not going to speak to her. I _don't_ love her." For just a second, Roxanne saw a flicker of something in James' expression. It disappeared so quickly, she thought she might have imagined it. But James had a pained look in his eyes for just a second when he claimed not to have feelings for Maria.

She almost felt sorry for the boy.

"Maria needs to deal with the fact that I'm with Alyssa. If she wants to be friends again, then she needs to stop being so psycho."

"_Psycho?"_ Roxanne exclaimed, getting defensive again, "Maria is the best possible thing that could _ever_ happen to you! But if you want to stay with Alyssa, you go right ahead. When she dumps your ass on the curve, don't come running to me."

When she was done, Roxanne slapped James across the face, spun on her heel, and stormed away.

* * *

><p>"You told him<em> what?<em>" Maria exclaimed, "Roxanne!"  
>"I'm sorry," Roxanne pleaded, "It just popped out. I didn't mean to tell him you love him…but Maria, listen to me. He's not worth it. If he's gonna treat you like this over a girl, then he is not worth chasing after. He's an idiot."<p>

"I know…" Maria sighed. Roxanne saw tears begin to fall from Maria's eyes and she pulled her into a hug. "But I can't help it, Roxie…I love him."

"I know, sweetie," Roxanne said soothingly, "I know…I'm sorry about this whole messed up situation. I don't know what it is about James…he's changed, and not for the better."

Maria sobbed silently, clinging to Roxanne's shirt like her life depended on it.

"Did you really slap him?" she asked after a moment, sniffing.

"Right across the face," Roxanne smiled proudly.

Unable to help herself, Maria burst out laughing, tears still falling from her eyes.

**Boooooo James! And go Roxanne! Lots of stupidity from James in this chapter...the boy may be thick-headed, but don't hate him. Things could get better. That is, if I get a lot of reviews again :) **


	5. Chapter 5

_**Ta da!**_** Another Update. Sorry it took so long, I've been busy. But I figured I'd give you all a Halloween treat. :) Enjoy!**

Maria was shocked when, the next day at breakfast, Joshua Hudson walked over and sat down next to her.

"Can I help you?" Maria asked, raising her eyebrows at the blond-haired Slytherin boy.

"I was wondering," Josh said, staring at the table, "If…"

"If what?" Maria asked. She didn't mean to sound, rude, but she was in no mood to speak to anyone.

"If you wanted to go on a date with me," Josh finally blurted.

Maria's eyes widened. She knew Josh from seeing him around Hogwarts, but they had never once spoken to each other. "Um…" was all she could think to say.

"I'm sorry, if you don't want to-." Josh sputtered, "It's just…well, I've seen you around and I think you're very beautiful. And you're sweet, and nice…I like you."

Maria glanced over at James and Alyssa, who were snogging at the Gryffindor table, and jealousy built up in her stomach.

"I'd love to," she stated, turning to Joshua.

Josh smiled brightly. "Great!" he said, sounding overexcited and then calming down. "Um…I mean, that's great. Maybe we could to go Hogsmeade together this weekend for the school trip."

"Sounds good," Maria said, trying to keep her cool.

* * *

><p>"Josh Hudson?" Roxanne asked, raising her eyebrows, "Are you serious, Maria?"<p>

"Yes," Maria said, "If James can have Alyssa, why can't I have Josh?"

"Well," Roxanne said, putting her Ravenclaw logic to work, "For one thing, you've never even met the guy before today. Why would he suddenly want to date you?"

"Excuse me," Maria said, looking offended, "Why shouldn't he? Is there something wrong with me?"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Roxanne said, "I just mean that the two of you have never spoken before, and you don't know anything about him."

"I know he likes me," Maria said, "And I know that for once I just want to be happy, and that I want to get over James because obviously fancying him will never get me anywhere."

Roxanne sighed, not wanting to start an argument. "I'm glad you're happy, Ria."

"Me too," Maria smiled, "Can you believe it, Roxie? I have a date!"

Roxanne laughed, "You're adorable."

* * *

><p>That Saturday, Maria was sitting in the Ravenclaw common room, anxiously awaiting Josh's arrival. She was dressed in a light blue dress that went down to her knees, and she had a black ribbon tied into her hair, holding it up in a ponytail. After what seemed like hours of waiting, fixing her dress and trying to not mess up her hair, there was a knock at the door.<p>

When Maria opened it, she found Josh there, arguing with the door.

"I have a date, if it's any of your business, and I'm here to pick her up," Josh was saying.

"Well, you must answer the riddle."

"Hello," Maria interrupted the knocker on the door.

"Wow," Josh said, staring at Maria, who laughed. "You look…wow."

"You look pretty good yourself," Maria smiled. Josh was wearing a dark green polo shirt, his Slytherin Scarf hanging loosely around his neck, and dark jeans. He smiled at her cockily and extended his hand towards her.

"Let's go," he said warmly, "Hogsmeade awaits."

* * *

><p>The couple was sitting in the Three Broomsticks, sipping Butterbeer, when James and Alyssa walked in. Maria stopped mid-sentence to glare at them, and Josh raised an eyebrow.<p>

"Something wrong?" he asked her.

"No…sorry," Maria said.

"That's James Potter," Josh said, as if Maria didn't know, "He's your friend, right?"

"Was," Maria said, causing Josh to look at her questioningly. "Nevermind. Long story."

Josh shrugged and let the subject drop. "Do you want to go to Honeydukes?"

"Sounds great," Maria smiled brightly. They stood up and walked out of the pub hand in hand. They walked down the peaceful streets of Hogsmeade, towards Honeydukes. Snow was falling gently, making Maria smile. December was by far her favorite month of the year. It reminded her of Christmases with the Potters and Weasleys, where she spent most of her time when she was younger, anyway.

It wasn't too cold out, but Maria, who was wearing a coat over her dress, shivered as a short gust of wind blew past them. Josh wrapped his arm around her until they reached the candy store.

Inside Honeydukes, Maria walked around looking at all the amazing sweets the shop sold. She picked up a large, heart-shaped lollipop and sighed.

"You've got something on your mind," Josh said, "I can tell."

"I'm sorry, Josh," Maria said, "I'm being rude…I am having a wonderful time, honest. I'm just annoyed at James."

"For?" Josh asked, "You can tell me…"

"He's dating Alyssa," Maria said simply.

"And you don't like her?" Josh guessed, "Is there a reason for that?"

"I've never liked her," Maria admitted, "She's rude, arrogant, and she only dates guys for one reason…James is my best friend. I hate seeing him get used."

"How do you know Alyssa doesn't really like him?" Josh asked, trying to be helpful.

"Alyssa Finnigan doesn't like anyone," Maria scoffed.

"What makes you hate her so much?" Josh asked.

"Well besides that she's just an all-around rotten person," Maria said, "When her and I were in our first year at Hogwarts, she made my life miserable…She'd 'accidentally' spill ink all over my homework when I was in the library, she'd trip me in the corridors…She was a real bitch."

"And James is still dating her?"

"I never told him," Maria shrugged, "I never told anyone. I just didn't want to cause problems. Eventually she stopped bothering me. I acted like nothing she did got to me, and she got bored."

"Oh," was all Josh could think to say.

"You know what?" Maria asked, and then answered herself before Josh could, "Let's just forget them. I'm having a great time with you, and I shouldn't let them ruin it."

She put the lollipop back on the shelf, and moved to look at the other candies.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, Maria and Josh were sitting on a bench outside Honeydukes, enjoying Chocolate Wands and Sugar Quills. Maria grew cold again, and found herself moving closer and closer to Josh. He happily put his arm around her and pulled her close. She allowed him to embrace her, and leaned into his chest, smiling.<p>

"Thanks for an amazing time," Maria said, looking up at him.

"Thank you," Josh smiled back, "I've liked you for a long time, you know."

Maria blushed, causing Josh to laugh slightly.

"You're so cute," he said, causing Maria's face to turn so red it would put Rose and Hugo's dad to shame. "And I love the way you look when you're embarrassed," Josh added, "It's adorable."

"Why didn't you ask me out earlier," Maria asked him curiously.

"I was nervous," Josh shrugged, and Maria accepted that as an answer. After all, if she hadn't been so nervous about her feelings for James, she would have asked him out ages ago and none of this mess would have happened.

While Maria was thinking of James, she felt guilty for sitting here with Josh, but quickly convinced herself that it was the best thing for her. After all, she couldn't keep loving James when he clearly wasn't returning the feelings.

She was so distracted by her thoughts, Maria didn't notice when Josh tilted her head up quickly and pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes went wide for a moment before she closed them and returned the kiss.

When the two pulled away, Maria smiled up at Josh brightly. "That was….wow."

Josh smiled, probably glad that this time it wasn't him at a loss for words.

Unknown the Maria, James and Alyssa had been walking nearby at that moment, and James was shocked to see his best friend kissing another guy. It sent a dull pain through his body before he managed to pull himself back together. He smiled down at Alyssa and gave her a kiss.

**I have plans...don't you worry, I know just what I'm doing XD Reviews are much appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6

Maria walked back into the Ravenclaw Common Room and sat on the floor near the fireplace, where Roxanne, Lorcan and Lysander were already relaxing. Roxanne set down the book she had been reading and looked at Maria, who smiled back brightly.

"Well? How did it go?" Roxanne asked.

"It was wonderful!" Maria trilled, "He's amazing, and sweet…"

"You sound like a girl," Lorcan noted, not looking up from the Daily Prophet he was reading.

"And what does that mean, exactly?" Maria asked, her eyebrows rising, "I am a girl, in case you've failed to notice before."

"That's not what I meant," Lorcan said, a small smile tugging at his lips, "I just mean you sound really girly right now, and that's not you at all."

"Well I've never been on a real date before," Maria said.

"Ria, relax," Lorcan laughed, "I'm happy for you."

Maria smiled and turned back to Roxanne excitedly. "Guess what else," she told the older girl. Before Roxanne even had time to reply, Maria squealed with delight. "He kissed me!"

Roxanne's reaction was not what Maria had expected. She looked upset.

"On the first date?" Roxanne asked, "I mean…you've basically just met this bloke."

"I thought you'd be happy for me," Maria muttered.

"Ria, I am," Roxanne said, "But think about it. He's supposedly liked you for a long time, and now out of the blue he gets all this confidence, asks you out, _and _kisses you?"

"Maybe he really likes me," Maria said, anger welling up inside her, "Ever think of that? If I'd ever gotten the confidence to ask James out, I sure as hell would have kissed him on the first date, and you would have been happy. You just don't like Josh."

"Of course I don't," Roxanne said, "The whole situation is suspicious. Just be careful, okay?"

"You're ridiculous," Maria said, standing up, "You can't even be happy for me now that I've gotten over James."

"I'm sorry, but there's no way you're 'over' James," Roxanne said, "You've been in love with him for years, and it's been one day. That's almost as bad as Alyssa saying she loves James after one day."

"Don't you dare compare me to Alyssa Finnigan!" Maria yelled, towering over Roxanne, who was still sitting. Suddenly, Maria turned around and stormed away, up the stairs to her dorm.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, there was a knock on Maria's door. She didn't answer, but whoever was knocking opened the door anyway. Maria had her head buried in her pillow, so didn't pay attention who had sat down next to her.<p>

"Maria…" she heard a familiar voice say, and she shot up out of her bed, staring down at James.

"What are you doing here?" she scowled, sitting back down and trying to fix her hair, which had become a mess while she was under the pillow.

"Roxanne went and got me," James explained, "She said you were upset."

"Of course I'm upset," Maria said, "Roxanne is one of my best friends, and she can't even be happy for me. But what do you care? Why don't you just go shag your precious girlfriend?"

James flinched, Maria's words stinging him. "I care about you, Maria…I'm sorry if my dating Alyssa upsets you. I want to stay friends, Ria."

This time it was Maria who flinched. "I can't," she whispered, trying to bite back tears. "James, I can't just be friends with you. I'm sick of just being friends."

James wrapped his arms around Maria comfortingly, but she pushed away.

"I'm sorry," James said desperately, "You must understand…I have no idea what to do. I love you, Maria, but not in that way." Maria didn't notice the pained look in James' eye, indicating that he was lying. "I want to stay with Alyssa, but I also want to keep you happy. I can't do both, apparently…"

"You choose her over your best friend," Maria muttered, staring at the floor, "You know I'd choose you over any guy, but you still choose to hurt me by dating her."

"Can you please explain to me why you hate her so much?" James asked.

Maria bit her lip to keep from bursting into tears. She couldn't bring herself to tell James about how horrible their first year had been for Maria. When she finally spoke, Maria's voice was deadly calm and emotionless.

"Get out," she said, pointing at the door.

"What?" James asked, "Maria, won't you even talk to me? I'm trying to understand here."

"I said get out," Maria repeated, "Or I'll hex you."

"You wouldn't," James said, backing away slightly. When Maria pulled out her wand and aimed it at him, James jumped up and raced towards the door. Before he shut it, he told Maria, "A bunch of us are playing Quidditch later. I'd really like it if you came…without your wand, preferably." He then shut the door, leaving Maria alone.

* * *

><p>On the Quidditch Pitch, by the time Maria decided to show up, the game had already begun. She saw Roxanne and Fred guarding opposite goals, James and Lily high above, scanning the air for the Snitch. From what she could see, One team consisted of James, Fred, Albus, Lucy, Lysander and Rose, and the other was Lily, Roxanne, Scorpius, Molly, Lorcan, and Hugo. Both teams had no Beaters, and four Chasers, The PotterWeasley kids often changed the rules a bit to match the number of players they had that day.

Maria made her way over to the stands, where she noticed Alyssa was sitting. She sat far away from the other girl. Maria was watching the match, mainly focused on James, when Alyssa moved to sit next to her, sneering.

"I see you've got a new boyfriend," Alyssa said, her tone full of satisfaction, "Good. Now you can stay away from mine."

Maria glared at Alyssa but chose not to speak.

"What's the matter, Griffin?" Alyssa teased, "Can't speak? You must hate knowing that James and I shag practically every night. And here you are, just getting your first kiss."

"Shut it," Maria growled.

"Testy," Alyssa said, making a _tsk tsk_ noise that only made Maria angrier.

"Finnigan, you'd better get out of my face," Maria warned, her hand moving towards her wand.

"You wouldn't hurt me," Alyssa said confidently, "Not again. That would only make James more mad at you, and you'd never have a chance of winning him back. Not that you have a chance now…"

As much as Maria hated to admit it, Alyssa was right. Maria would never attack Alyssa again, because that would mean upsetting James even more.

"I've got to go," Alyssa said suddenly, "Tell James I got tired and left, kay?"

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," Maria muttered sarcastically.

Alyssa scowled and left the pitch. After a few moments, Maria grew suspicious of where Alyssa would be going. After all, since her and James had started dating, she was never away from him. Where would she suddenly have to be now? So Maria left the pitch as well, and followed after Alyssa.

She saw the blonde-haired girl walk back into Hogwarts and rushed to keep up with her. Finally, she caught up, staying one corner behind her to ensure that she didn't get caught. When Alyssa finally stopped walking, Maria hid behind a suit of armor and listened closely. She wasn't shocked to hear Alyssa kissing someone else. What did shock her, however, was to look around the armor and see that the person Alyssa was kissing was Josh.

**_Dun Dun Dun!_ *dramatic music* REVIEWS! Review and the next chapter will be posted asap. I already have it written. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow, so many reviews in so little time :D**

"How could you!" Maria screamed, walking out from behind the armor, "I trusted you, you git!"

Josh stepped away from Alyssa, muttering Maria's name.

"And you!" Alyssa stormed up to the girl, "Wait until I tell James about this!"

"You think he'll believe you?" Alyssa laughed.

"Yes he will," another voice rounded the corner. Alyssa looked completely miserable to see James standing there; looking angrier than Maria had ever seen him.

"J-James," Alyssa cried, "I can explain. He forced me to!" She pointed an accusing finger at Josh.

"You're insane!" Josh yelled out, "I don't know why I ever agreed to this deal!"

"Is that all I am to you, a deal?" Maria yelled at him, "I thought you really liked me! And I let you kiss me!"

"Maria," Josh said desperately, "I'm so sorry. Alyssa threatened me, I swear. She..." Josh looked ashamed, and stopped talking.

"She what?" Maria asked, her words harsh, "What could she do to make you use me like that? What, did she promise to shag you if you'd keep me away from James? Is that it?"

"No!" Josh exclaimed, "Maria, I swear! I didn't even want to kiss her! She just…leaped at me! She's crazy!"

"Then why would you hurt me like this?" Maria demanded.

Josh muttered something, looking at the floor, his face turning red.

"That's it," Maria said, grabbing Josh by the collar and dragging him down the corridor.

"Where are you going?" James called after her, grabbing Alyssa's arm and pulling her after Maria.

When Maria finally reached her destination, James realized her plan. They were standing outside Slughorn's potion cupboard. Maria waved her wand, muttering "Alohomora" and the lock clicked. Maria opened the door, and shoved Josh inside roughly. The Slytherin just allowed himself to be shoved.

Maria dug around for a few minutes before she pulled out a small vial filled with a colorless liquid.

"You know you'll get in huge trouble if you use that," James said casually, as if he cared about rule-breaking.

"I need to know the truth." She opened the vial, and took a step towards Josh, who looked slightly scared. "Drink this," she said.

"What is it?" Josh asked, fearing that Maria was trying to poison him.

"Veritaserum," Maria said, "It'll make you tell the truth."

Josh sighed and took a sip from the potion.

"Why did you use me?" Maria demanded, putting the cork back in the vial.

"She made me," Josh said, pointing at Alyssa.

"How?" Maria asked, "Did she promise to shag you if you did?"

"No," Josh said, "I don't want to be anywhere near her. She's horrid!"

"What did she do to make you use me?" Maria yelled, getting impatient.

"She took my owl," Josh said, and Maria saw the pain in his eyes. "She took her, and locked her in a cage. She told me if I didn't distract you and keep you away from James, she'd kill her! I couldn't let her hurt Lou-Lou."

"Lou-Lou?" Maria wondered aloud, suddenly smiling when she realized that Josh really hadn't hurt her intentionally.

"That's her name," Josh said, still under the influence of the potion, "I've had her since I turned 11! I'm sorry, Maria, but I couldn't let Alyssa hurt her."

"Why were you kissing her?"

"She kissed me. I was trying to pull away before you interrupted."

"Do you like me?" Maria asked aloud, although she wasn't trying to force the answer out of him, the Veritaserum was still at work.

"I don't," Josh said, "But everything else I told you was true. You're beautiful, and sweet, and you really are adorable when you get embarrassed."

This only caused Maria to get embarrassed and turn red. She quickly dug around the cupboard for the antidote and gave some to Josh.

"I'm sorry, Maria," Josh said after he'd taken the antidote, "I didn't want to hurt you…"

Even without the potion, Maria could tell that Josh was telling the truth. She gave him a hug, and smiled at him.

"There's still the matter of his owl," James said, roughly tugging Alyssa forward, "Where is she? Take us to her."

* * *

><p>Alyssa stopped walking in front of a small broom cupboard not far from the Gryffindor Common Room. When James opened the door, it was empty except for a small, light-grey, elf owl in a cage.<p>

"Lou-Lou!" Josh yelled, rushing forward and grabbing the cage. He hugged it to his chest, looking ecstatic.

"Why are you a Slytherin, again?" James asked, looking amused.

"Shut up," Josh said, looking uncomfortable but not angry.

"As for you," James said, turning to Alyssa, "I think it's fairly obvious that we're done."

Maria watched with pride and amusement as James told Alyssa to never go near him, or anyone he cared about, again. Of course, James' language was more colorful than that.

* * *

><p>Later, James and Maria were sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room, an uncomfortable silence between them. Josh had taken Lou-Lou outside and opened her cage, where she flew towards the Owlery, obviously happy to be free. Josh had gone back to his own Common Room, after offering Maria several more apologies. Maria had just smiled at him and told him not to worry. Josh, happy that Maria didn't hate him, left James and Maria alone, who went back to the Gryffindor Common Room.<p>

The two of them were sitting in the chairs by the fireplace. Maria stared into the crackling fire, wishing James would say something. After a while waiting, Maria finally got her wish.

"I suppose here's when you say 'I told you so'," James said bitterly.

"I didn't want to be right," Maria said, looking at him with tears in her eyes, "James, I just wanted you to be happy."

James looked at her with a mixture of feelings. Maria saw happiness, sadness, pride, and most of all love.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me," James said, leaning forward and wiping the tears off her cheeks, "I'm sorry I've been treating you so poorly. I've been a real git."

Maria stayed silent, holding back a smile.

"This is where you disagree with me," James said, motioning for Maria to speak. When she didn't disagree, James laughed and pushed her playfully.

"You really are a git," Maria laughed, "I can't believe you fell for her act."

"Neither can I." James looked disgusted at himself.

"Did you really sleep with her almost every night?" Maria asked, her face turning pink.

"What? No!" James yelled indignantly, and then turned red, "It was only a few times…"

"Okay, I don't need to know the details," Maria said, a look of disgust crossing her face.

James laughed, smiling down at her. He grabbed her hand, pulling her onto his own chair so that she was sitting between his legs, with his arms wrapped around her.

"Can you ever forgive me?" he asked, his face slightly pink as he cradled her.

Maria looked up at him and sighed. "I suppose," she said dramatically, hiding a smile.

James laughed and ticked Maria's side, causing her to leap out of the chair and fall to the ground.

"James Sirius Potter!" she yelled, "You know how ticklish I am!"

"That was sort of the point," James said, sticking his tongue out at her.

He leapt down towards her to tickle her some more, ignoring the amused looks from the few Gryffindors that were also in the room.

**I couldn't stand making Josh evil...I like the kid xD He's a softy Slytherin. :P Anyway, YAY for more updated! Reviews would be awesome! There's still at least one more chapter of this story, so if you want it, you gotta review! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ta-Da! Hope you enjoy the last chapter!**

When James and Maria walked into the Ravenclaw common room hand in hand, Roxanne's eyes lit up. She squealed in delight and rushed forward, hugging Maria tightly.

"It's about time you two gits got together!" Roxanne yelled. She made to move forward, still hugging Maria, sending them both crashing to the ground. James, who was still holding Maria's hand, was also dragged down, and landed on the floor with a resounding _thud._

"Bloody Hell, Roxanne," James muttered.

"I'm sorry," Roxanne laughed, "I'm just so happy for you two! So you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this to happen?"

"How long _you've_ been waiting?" Maria asked, "_I've_ been waiting longer than you have." Roxanne just grinned sheepishly. "And anyway, we haven't really decided if we're together yet…"

"WHAT?" Roxanne yelled, scaring a passing first year, "Are you mental? James finally gets some brains and dumps Alyssa, and you two _still_ aren't dating?"

"That's not what I said," Maria replied, her voice calm, "I simply stated that we haven't come to a decision yet. It's not all up to me, you know. James has a say in this too."

James was about to say something when Roxanne interrupted him.

"Everyone knows James loves you, too, he just hasn't admitted it yet."

"Maybe if you'd let me speak," James muttered, looking cross, and then laughed. Maria looked up at him, and he spoke. "Maria, I want to tell you how I feel, but I really can't find the right words… 'I like you' doesn't seem to quite cover it, but I'm not ready to say 'love' yet….I mean, look where that word has gotten me recently…"

"I understand, James," Maria said kindly.

"But I want to tell you that I'm sorry," James continued, "For the way I've been treating you. The truth is…I do have feelings for you. Strong feelings that I've had for a long time, I was just too scared to admit it."

Roxanne watched the two, beaming with happiness.

"What I'm trying to say," James sighed, "Is…will you be my girlfriend?"

"I'll have to think about it," Maria said cooly, crossing her arms. She looked serious for only a moment before she grinned and threw her arms around James' neck. "Of course!" she laughed loudly.

Before James had time to reply, Maria had closed the space between their lips. She kissed him passionately, and neither of them pulled away until they needed air.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Maria whispered, hugging James close.

"You two are adorable," Roxanne said happily, joining the hug. James laughed and pushed her away playfully.

* * *

><p>The next morning at breakfast, everyone noticed James and Maria walk into together. They gave each other a quick kiss and then went to their separate tables.<p>

"Oooh," Lysander joked when Maria sat next to him, "You two love birds finally got together?"

Maria responded by flicking his ear and turning to her food. "If you must know, then yes," she said, although she was grinning.

"I heard something happened after our family Quidditch game last night," Lorcan said, his mouth half full.

Maria explained to Lysander, Lorcan, and Roxanne what had happened with Josh, Alyssa James and herself the night before.

"Wow," Lorcan said.

"Alyssa's a real nutter," Lysander said.

"I feel bad for Josh," Roxanne noted. The three of them looked over at the Slytherin table, and saw Josh laughing with one of his friends. Just then the morning mail came and Josh saw Lou-Lou soar down towards him, and his face lit up.

"I think he'll be okay," Maria laughed, "Everyone's happy now….well….not everyone."

At the Gryffindor table, Alyssa was sitting alone at the end of the table. She turned to a boy near her, but he just raised his eyebrows at her and turned away.

"I think Josh may have told a few people about what happened last night," Maria explained, "No one in Hogwarts wants to date Alyssa now…."

"Poor her," Roxanne said sarcastically, rolling her eyes, "Now how will she get shagged?"

The four Ravenclaws burst out laughing.

* * *

><p>The end of the year came far too quickly for Maria's liking. She was not looking forward to spending the summer at home, where she had to pretend she was just an ordinary Muggle like her parents.<p>

On the last day of classes, Maria was sitting in an empty corridor staring at the floor miserably, when James found her and sat next to her.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Well," Maria started, taking a deep breath, "For one, it feels like we've just started going out and we're already going to be separated for the summer. Second, I have to go home and pretend to be a Muggle, and I can't even really talk about magic at home. My parents don't really understand magic that much…it makes them uneasy, I guess."

"Is that why you've barely spoken the last few days?" James exclaimed, "Bloody hell, Ria, you had me worried! So worried, in fact, I never ask you my question."

"Question?" Maria asked, looking at him with her head cocked to the side.

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to spend the summer at my house," James said, "I wrote my Mum and Dad and they said it's alright if your parents don't mind."

Maria's face lit up instantly and she threw her arms around James' shoulders. "Yes!" she yelled out happily, "I'd love to! My parents won't mind. I've spent summers there before. Hell, they let me spend Christmas with you guys. Trust me, they'll be okay with it."

"Brilliant," James grinned, "So don't look so upset anymore."

He lifted her chin to face him and planted a long kiss on her lips. She kissed him back happily. When they pulled apart, she slapped his arm playfully.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Well, if you had asked me that question days ago, I never would have gotten so upset," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"I was worried about you," James defended, laughing.

Maria playfully growled and fell into James' arm. The two of them sat together in the corridor until it was time to board the Hogwarts express.

Maria and James ended up sitting with Roxanne, Lily, Albus, Scorpius, Lorcan and Lysander. The eight of them were crammed into one cart, but were having too much that they didn't care. They joked about the year they'd just spent at Hogwarts, and talked about how excited they were to be going home for a few months. Maria lay back, cuddled under James' arm, and watched the conversation, contributing here and there. She couldn't help but think about everything that had happened. The year had started off miserably, but Maria decided that, given the option, she wouldn't have changed a thing.

**REVIEWS! Also, do I smell a sequel coming along? Maaaayyyybbbbeeee! It depends if I can think of something to happen over their summer vacation...Anyhoo, review this last and final chapter of Everything You Want. I hope you enjoyed. :)**


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